With massive rallies taken out by their followers, Ballari in-charge Minister B. Sriramulu and Congress candidate Na. Ra. Bharat Reddy filed their nomination papers for Ballari Rural and Ballari City constituencies, respectively, on Tuesday.
Mr. Sriramulu, who has been elected to the Assembly five times and Lok Sabha once in the past, is seeking the people’s mandate for the sixth time.
Na. Ra. Bharat Reddy is a fresh face.
Before leaving for filing his nomination papers, Mr. Sriramulu paid a visit to Kote Malleshwar Temple and offered a special puja to the deity. He then marched in the massive procession to the office of the Returning Officer of his constituency Hemanth Kumar and submitted his nomination papers.
He was accompanied by Ballari MLA G. Somashekhar Reddy, former legislator Suresh Babu, the former Lok Sabha member from Ballari Shantha and other BJP leaders.
Speaking to media representatives after filing his nomination papers, Mr. Sriramulu exuded the confidence of winning the polls with an impressive margin.
Congress candidate in Ballari City Constituency Na. Ra. Bharat Reddy taking part in a rally before filing his nomination papers on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: SRIDHAR KAVALI
Na.Ra. Bharat Reddy, who managed to secure Congress ticket amid stiff competition from veterans Anil Lad and Diwakar Babu apart from Allam Veerabhadrappa who was trying the ticket for his son, participated in the massive rally as means to show his strength.
Mr. Reddy set off in the procession from his office to Kanaka Durgamma Temple where he offered special puja before leaving for submitting his nomination papers to Returning Officer S.N. Rudresh.
“My aim is to defeat the BJP. I am fortunate that I got Congress ticket to do it. I am confident of winning the election. I will work for the development of the constituency,” Mr. Reddy told media representatives after filing his nomination papers.
